(1) I was born in 1974- that makes me a member of the first generation born into a world where, "Stick to your own kind, boy," was no longer acceptable. I hope my children's generation will be one where that attitude is no longer comprehensible. Prior generations, however, regarded associations across social and racial lines as making the line-crosser of lower social status than -either- group involved. That attitude, conscious or subconscious, is dying out, and good riddance.
(3) Jim Baen tends to attract conservatives, in no small part due to David Weber. Weber regards Clarence Thomas as the greatest Supreme Court jurist of all time. Eric Flint could also be called conservative. H. Beam Piper was either conservative or libertarian, depending on your point of view. Any liberal trend in fandom is not due to the -nonexistence- of conservatives, but because fandom is in no small part focused on those who seek higher education and mental stimulus.
(4) Fundamentalist religions demand conformity above all. Fandom does not conform; therefore fandom is evil and to be avoided.
(5) Some Japanese are amused, some bewildered, and some offended by American otaku. I can't speak to how the Chinese feel about Hong Kong movie fans, and at present no other Asian country has a significant influence on fandom in America. (Well, except possibly Bollywood, but I think Bollywood fandom is not imitative so much as it is "lookit the freaks, Martha, lookit the freaks.")
(And I would love to see a Bollywood movie mocking Americans. "Lookit the fat whiteys, Ganesh, lookit the fat whiteys.")
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Date: 2006-03-05 09:22 pm (UTC)(3) Jim Baen tends to attract conservatives, in no small part due to David Weber. Weber regards Clarence Thomas as the greatest Supreme Court jurist of all time. Eric Flint could also be called conservative. H. Beam Piper was either conservative or libertarian, depending on your point of view. Any liberal trend in fandom is not due to the -nonexistence- of conservatives, but because fandom is in no small part focused on those who seek higher education and mental stimulus.
(4) Fundamentalist religions demand conformity above all. Fandom does not conform; therefore fandom is evil and to be avoided.
(5) Some Japanese are amused, some bewildered, and some offended by American otaku. I can't speak to how the Chinese feel about Hong Kong movie fans, and at present no other Asian country has a significant influence on fandom in America. (Well, except possibly Bollywood, but I think Bollywood fandom is not imitative so much as it is "lookit the freaks, Martha, lookit the freaks.")
(And I would love to see a Bollywood movie mocking Americans. "Lookit the fat whiteys, Ganesh, lookit the fat whiteys.")